Off Duty
by aDodoBird
Summary: The Justice League is still fairly new, thus a severe lack of team bonding becomes evident to its members. In an effort to change this, they begin to share (mis)adventures outside of superhero work... AFTER the day has been saved, of course.
1. Coffee Shop

_I do not own DC Comics, its characters, locations, or fictional elements. All rights belong to the appropriate parties. No copyright infringement intended. The picture is from the film Justice League: Doom. All rights associated with it belongs to the appropriate parties._

_Author's Note: Hello! This story will follow an episodic format with each chapter representing a different "episode" of the story which will follow the members of the Justice League (specifically the "Trinity" of Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman) in some off-duty adventures. You know their heroic identities, and you know their civilian personas. This story explores the part that lies just in between._

_Now comes the question of whether this story is a SM/WW or a BM/WW story. My answer to that is, you'll have to wait and see :J But my hope (and sort of my goal) is for this story to act as a sort of peacemaker between the two camps. I feel that fans of both pairings will find things to enjoy in here._

_In any case, I hope you enjoy and would love to hear what you think! I know that this is probably the corniest title ever created, but it's the best I could come up with off the top... Anyways, on to the story now._

* * *

**Justice League: Off Duty**

**Episode 1**

**Superman/Wonder Woman  
The Coffee Shop**

* * *

A horrible screech punctuated the hour-long battle between the Earth's greatest heroes and the starfish conqueror Starro. The monstrous creature's flailing arms sunk below the foaming waves and into the murky depths from which they came.

Three figures floated a couple hundred feet above the water line with bated breath. Their opponent had feigned retreats multiple times during the battle, only to return in a ferocious surprise attack as the heroes lowered their guards. This time, they were determined to remain ready.

After some time passed, one of the six heroes – a sharp featured, blonde haired man – emerged from under the surface. From the look on his face, his companions above could tell what the nature of his news was.

"The conqueror has fully retreated into the depths. Victory is ours for now," the man said cautiously in a steady tone. The relief could be seen on his teammates' faces as he spoke. The three that hovered above him were visibly more relaxed.

Suddenly, the one in the middle threw his arms in the air and let out a celebratory yelp.

"**Woooo hoo hoo HOO!** _That_, ladies and gentlemen, is how you take on a bloodthirsty sea monster and **win!**" he cried enthusiastically, the green glow around his body growing brighter with his exuberance. He swiftly extended both hands to either side of him for the teammates to high-five. Reluctantly, they both obliged which triggered another whoop from the ecstatic young man. The two teammates on either side of him exchanged sheepish glances behind his back before smiling warmly to one another.

The blonde-haired man who was treading water was not as joyful despite their decisive victory. He shot an irritated glare in the glowing man's direction before ducking back under the water and accelerating off in the direction of his underwater kingdom. The floating man didn't bat an eye at the departure of his indignant teammate.

"Good riddance, fish stick," he said out loud as he slipped a rude gesture in the direction of the man's disappearance. Ignoring the disapproving glances he received from the two next to him, he focused his attention on a red blur that was swiftly darting around below him. "Yo, Flash! It's over man, you can settle down now!"

"If only that were true, Hal," the speedster replied as he continued to dart across the surface of the water, "but I physically cannot stop running unless if I plan on taking a dip."

Hal frowned and extended his arm toward the waves below. From a green ring that sat on his middle finger, he materialized a shape from green light that resembled a hot air balloon. He lowered this construct into the water at a level that Flash could reach. "Well hop in buddy, I've gotcha covered," he announced as he waited for the red blur to return to where the "balloon" sat.

While this was going on, a jet-black jet was circling the group of hovering people. Inside was the famed vigilante from Gotham City that occasionally joined this group of heroes on their exploits – battling the threats that the Earth occasionally faced from dangerous enemies… despite not having any special powers of his own. He peered out of the cockpit's windshield at the ocean below and once satisfied that the enemy would not be returning, he turned the plane towards the mainland and thrust the engines to full power. Hal shook his head as the black dot grew smaller and smaller.

"Well, I guess the Bat and grumpy gills are spoken for, but do you guys feel like going out after this? Maybe grab a bite or catch a show or something?"

His two companions were caught off guard by the question but each started to ponder the offer.

"I don't know," said one of them, a man with a full red cape flowing from his shoulders. He stole a sideways glance at the other teammate, Wonder Woman. She was strikingly beautiful with a piercing gaze and firm confidence.

"I should probably return to Washington D.C.," she said after a short pause, "I'm meeting with members of the Pentagon tomorrow morning and need to prepare some statements…"

"Hey, you've gotta let yourself live a little sometimes, princess," Hal chuckled, "for the short time you've spent in America, it seems like you're always working. Either sitting in some government building talking to the suits in charge, or running around with us. Have you even _tried_ to try out life in the American culture?"

"Hal…" came a call from below. The Flash was inside of the hot air balloon construct, patiently waiting to be elevated.

"Cool your jets Barry, I didn't forget ya," Hal assured him as he raised the makeshift vehicle to meet the rest of the group. Turning back towards the woman, he continued. "I know some pretty hot parts of town out in DC. My girlfriend goes down there all the time to talk to different contractors and sometimes the government since she's in the aircraft business. Sometimes she drags me along which usually bores the crap out of me. Yet, I've managed to find _some_ fun in the city, so I can testify that it's not all that much of a drag…"

"What are we talking about?" Flash asked innocently as he shifted his gaze between his teammates. Hal ignored him.

"As generous of that is, I really should turn in. I need to check in with my correspondent before it gets too late to discuss the agenda for tomorrow," Wonder Woman insisted.

"Suit yourself. But, you'll burn yourself out if you don't take time to let loose every now and then," Hal warned.

"Washington is on the way for me," the other floating man known as Superman interjected, "maybe we could fly back together?" His question was offered up gently, almost timidly. After a brief pause, Wonder Woman accepted the offer and drifted closer to Superman's side. Giving a nod of acknowledgement to the Flash and Green Lantern, she continued her flight towards the mainland. Superman turned to give a small wave to his two remaining teammates which Hal reciprocated with a mock salute.

"Maybe next time, huh guys? We're in some serious need of team bonding. I feel like I barely know you guys!" he called after the two as they left.

"You know me," Flash said in a reassuring tone.

"Give it a rest," Hal pouted. He began fly off with the hot air balloon construct that still contained his friend.

"Hey, Hal? Are you planning on putting me down? I think I can make it back to shore… it'll be faster. No offense," Flash asked cautiously.

"What? Are you skipping out on me too?" Hal asked with frown.

"No no! I… *sigh*"

"Good. Next stop, Central City!" Hal said, his frown transforming into a smirk.

* * *

Superman and Wonder Woman remained silent for most of their flight back to land. They volleyed small talk for a short time, but only in awkward little bursts. Superman couldn't help but steal glances at his teammate as she radiantly reflected the sunlight as it set on the Western horizon. She was one of the few women that he had consistent contact with that really stood out him. Part of the attraction stemmed from their similar circumstances – both were not of the world as most people knew it. He was actually an alien that migrated to Earth in his infancy via an escape pod launched from his home planet of Krypton moments before its destruction. She was a princess from a magical island whose residents consisted entirely of women. She only recently left the island for the first time in order to return an American pilot that crash landed on the island by accident. She was now considered an ambassador to her country by the US government and was still under heavy scrutiny due to the unknown nature of her homeland.

Superman had the benefit of growing up among mainstream society, but still felt like an outsider much like Wonder Woman was. The fact that they both could exhibit superpowers beyond the capability of normal humans only widened the gap of their perceived "normalcy". Though they didn't speak of it much, the two mutually sympathized with one another over this shared bond.

Shaking himself from his absentmindedness, Superman decided to break the silence again.

"So, this meeting you've got tomorrow. Must be pretty important, huh?"

"Not really," she said apologetically. This shocked him slightly but he let her explain herself. "I merely exaggerated its importance to prevent Hal from pressuring me any further. I don't dislike him as a teammate, but I don't appreciate his advances nor do I feel entirely comfortable around him all of the time."

Superman nodded in acknowledgment as she spoke. He personally thought that Hal was a bit over the top at times, but generally kept his feelings to himself. He was yet to see him cross the line _too_ far. "That's too bad. You should sit down with him and confront him about it sometime if you really feel threatened by the way he treats you," he suggested.

Wonder Woman burst out in a hearty laugh. It make Superman jump a little. He wasn't sure if she was laughing at him or at what he just said.

"It would take a **lot** for me to feel _threatened_ by him," she said after she recovered her composure, "but I understand what you mean." Superman fidgeted in his flight position a bit. Waiting to speak up again, he noticed the outline of a shoreline appearing in the distance.

"Well, one thing that he said did ring true. We haven't really taken much time to get to know each other as teammates since banding together a month ago," he observed. "We could probably benefit from developing friendships on a personal level outside of our heroic activities together."

"You're right," Wonder Woman said with a warm smile. Superman noticed it out of the corner of his eye since he wasn't brave enough to look her in the eye just yet after his minor embarrassment. But he couldn't fight back his own smile as it broke. "Would you like to start tonight… right now perhaps?" **That** caught him off guard.

"But I thought you said…"

"I was dodging a bullet, as people like to say. I'm not quite ready to delve into getting to know Hal just yet, but I have a pretty good impression of you," she said. "He _was_ right about me not knowing much about the American culture as of yet. I've gleaned some things from watching television broadcasts, but most of which has been… well, fairly disturbing…"

"Yeah," Superman laughed, "that's pretty much the LAST place you want to look. I can show you as much I can, I guess. I've had some time to soak in some customs and traditions. Have you ever been to a coffee shop?"

Wonder Woman raised an eyebrow. "I've heard quite a bit about this 'coffee'. It's enormously popular among the governing officials and representatives that I've met with throughout my time here. It smells wonderful, but I've never actually tried it myself."

"Wow, well you're in for quite an experience," Superman said in a facetious tone, "I know a good one in Metropolis if you want to swing by with me?"

"Sounds wonderful," Wonder Woman said with a small smile. They two changed course accordingly and sped off towards the City of Tomorrow.

* * *

Everything seemed to come to a stuttering stop when the two heroes entered the small coffee shop in full costume. Superman immediately kicked himself mentally for forgetting to have them change into civilian clothing before showing up… he knew the owner as Clark Kent, not Superman, and he knew this was bound to happen. However, they were there now and were essentially past the point of no return. Turning to Wonder Woman briefly, he led her further into the shop as people began to turn back to one another as hushed murmurs filled the room.

The city of Metropolis had become well acquainted with Superman since his debut just under a year before. The city was largely divided on how they felt about the supposed savior of the city – some stigma did exist about aliens due to a number of encounters that had happened in the past. However, thanks to his assistance with some of those incidents, he gained the trust and respect of many of the city's residents.

Wonder Woman was still a new face among the people of the country, but she was in the news enough to be recognized. She had begun her own small career of crimefighting since arriving in "Man's World" as she typically referred to it. Seeing the two together seemed to have sparked quite a bit of discussion among the shop's patrons.

The two heroes approached the front counter where a skinny teenaged boy stood stiffly. He seemed to be trembling beneath his 'Coffee Nook' baseball cap, but mustered up the courage to ask "Can I help you, Superman?"

"Yes, but I think I'll let my friend order first," he said in a gentle tone with a friendly grin. This seemed to put the boy at ease a little bit, but he was still visibly shaken. His coworkers were practically cowering at the other end of the counter in anticipation of having to make beverages for the high profile superheroes.

"I don't have a clue of what to even get," Wonder Woman said as she scanned the menu that hung above the boy's head. She stared at it as if it were written in hieroglyphics. She had no idea what the difference between mocha latte and a French vanilla Frappuccino was.

Superman suddenly felt a rush of panic. His face turned red from blushing when he realized that he didn't bring his wallet with him. With the prior knowledge that the League would be engaging in a battle at sea, he figured he didn't want to risk it getting wet. He stood for a couple more moments as Wonder Woman went back and forth with the patient cashier boy as she explored the ins and outs of the basics of coffee.

"Hey, I need to step out for a minute, I'll be right back," he finally said as he backed away towards the door. He exited the shop and took off for his place of residence – a modest apartment building just outside of the downtown area. He went through a great deal of trouble to enter and exit the apartment without being seen in his Superman outfit, but managed to make it in and out successfully without causing a scene.

As he reentered the coffee shop minutes later, he saw that a fairly lengthy line had formed in his absence – and that Wonder Woman was not present in it. Determined to keep his cool, he scanned the shop with his highly perceptive vision until he spotted her at the far end of the counter where people typically picked up their drinks after ordering. In front of her, she had at least 20 small paper cups spread out with a young female employee filling new ones as she sampled each one.

"This one probably has the most potent caffeine content of anything that we sell here," the girl said proudly as she laid down a fresh cup of incredibly dark coffee. "Triple shot of espresso that'll have you bouncing in your seat for hours." Superman nervously watched Wonder Woman take the cup and down it in a fluid motion – ignoring the hot temperature that it undoubtedly was at. Her eyes grew wide as she licked her lips slowly.

"Ooh! I think I _really _like _that_ one," she said excitedly. Superman could hear a distinct difference in her tone from the last he heard from her… the coffee's temperature might not have affected her, but the caffeine certainly seemed to. She turned her head quickly as she noticed Superman standing there with wallet in hand (and jaw slightly dropped). "Superman! You _have _to try some of these! I will admit that not all coffee tastes as good as it smells, but they sell kinds here that they never drink at the government offices that actually taste really good! It's like nothing I've ever had before, even on Themyscira! And some of them can make you feel –"

Superman stopped her by putting his hand on her arm. It was gentle, but firm. "I'm glad you're enjoying it, but do you think you can narrow down just _one_ to have, maybe?"

She turned her attention back to the assortment of empty cups and the barista girl who was struggling to hold back giggles. Wonder Woman furrowed her brow in thought, then picked up the cup that the triple espresso was in.

"I think I liked this one the best after all," she said. The barista's grin widened as she took the cup then jotted down the order.

"Excellent choice, and for you sir? I can take your order here, we know you were in line before," she said referring to the line that had grown even more during the sampling episode.

"Oh, I'll just have a regular… _decaffeinated_ cup. Two creams, two sugars. And a croissant. Oh, and I'll take care of any charge for the samples my friend here burned through," Superman said with a slightly apologetic tone.

"No worries! Samples are actually free! Plus, seeing someone open themselves up to the world of coffee for the first time is rewarding enough in itself!" the girl said in an amused voice as she turned her attention back to Wonder Woman who was rapidly looking around, taking in her surroundings as if for the first time (despite having been in the shop for at least 20 minutes).

Superman paid for everything and showed Wonder Woman to a table in the corner booth of the shop. Based on her reaction at the moment, Superman wasn't sure if he was dreading or looking forward to her reaction after finishing a full cup. But regardless, he had a wonderful time swapping stories with the beautiful Amazon princess as his adopted city bustled outside in the crisp night air.

* * *

_As I said before, I hope you enjoyed this first chapter! Like I said, this story is going to feature BOTH SM/WW and BM/WW moments eventually. I just decided to have this first part start off this way. For those of you who enjoy the bromance relationship that Green Lantern and Flash have, you'll he happy to know that a few episodes will feature some of that as well._

_Speaking of the future, I'd be interested in hearing suggestions of different situations you'd like to see the characters interact in. This one just happened to be a coffee shop, but I've got plans for things ranging from mini golf, to hayrides, to ice skating, and even a 'guys night out'. If you've got ideas, I'm very open to adapt them into future installments. Until then, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it! Keep an eye out for an update soon!_


	2. Pizza Time

_I do not own DC Comics, its characters, locations, or fictional elements. All rights belong to the appropriate parties. No copyright infringement intended._

_Author's note: Hello again!_

_I was very excited to see so much positive feedback surrounding the first chapter. Thank you all so much for your support. However, there are a couple things I'd like to address before I get started._

_Yes, this is advertised as a SMWW and BMWW story, but frankly it's not strictly a romance story. It's more about the Justice League and all of the relationships that are contained within the group. Romance is a part of what blooms through the connections, but it is best not to get hung up on who is attracted to who. Just enjoy the ride :J_

_Also, contrary to appearances, this is not based off of New 52 directly. Yes, I used some of its influences (most obviously with Hal), but really this is a mishmash of all of the different DC related mediums I'm familiar with – comics, cartoons, movies, and games. It's sort of my "best of" amalgamation of the DCU. Just a fun fact._

_In any case, hope you enjoy chapter two!_

* * *

**Justice League: Off Duty**

**Episode 2**

**Superman/Wonder Woman/Green Lantern/Flash  
Pizza Time!**

* * *

"I don't know what you did," Green Lantern said, "but you've really got these guys PO'ed."

He floated just along the edge of Central City's city center as he watched waves upon waves of strangely dressed men converge on the Flash statue that sat in the middle. The Flash himself stood by sadly as he watched the statue topple.

"Anyone else say that they wanted in on this party?" the glowing hero asked him.

"I couldn't reach Aquaman, but Superman and Wonder Woman are on their way. And apparently Batman is in a meeting? He didn't say what for. Maybe he's a boss at a company or something." Flash speculated. "I guess it would explain why he's so moody all of the time."

"He's probably wussing out. It must be hard to play superhero when you don't have any superpowers to actually contribute to battle," Green Lantern scoffed. "Hey, how are Superman and Wonder Babe getting here anyway? I know they're both pretty fast, but even for them it'd probably take a while to fly halfway across the country."

"I don't know, neither one said anything about that. But Wonder Woman _does_ have a jet," Flash said, his eyes still trained on the rampaging drones that appeared to be digging a hole where the statue once stood. Could they be… burying it?

"A jet?" Lantern echoed.

"Yeah, an invisible one."

"Holy crap! She totally has to let me take that out for a spin some time… The plane, I mean, but the _other_ option wouldn't be so bad either."

Flash slapped his palm over his face. "Hal, don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Sure do. And I wouldn't replace her for the world. But at the same time, Wondy is so much untapped potential that's just…just… sitting there! Rotting away in D.C. government buildings all day until something like this comes up. I don't think she realizes that you only get to be young once. After we get this ish squared away, I'm inviting her for pizza. Then we'll go clubbing. There _are_ places to do that around here, right? People _do _have lives out here in 'Hickville'… right?"

Flash raised an eyebrow in disbelief. "You? Going clubbing? With Wonder Woman? Tonight?"

"Yes, yes, yes, and why not?" Hal asked with a smirk. "You know how women play that 'I don't like you, you're a loser' game around guys all of the time in movies, but it turns out later in the story that they really had a massive crush on the person the whole time? I'm pretty sure that usually roughly translates to real life… most of the time."

"**I'm** pretty sure that you're delusional," Flash said with a frown. He swapped his gaze back and forth between his watch and the pile of drones that were now using odd looking power tools on an object that was apparently lodged in the hole they created. He squinted and craned his neck as he tried to see what it was, but too many were in the way.

"She definitely digs me," Hal said, not paying the situation any mind, "I just need a little time to prove to her that I'm not a total pig for the sake of being a pig. I woo her only because I care. She's gotta get an **authentic** American experience so long as she's here. It'd be a shame for her to move back to that island of hers without digging into the Wild, Wild West that is the American party scene."

"There's Superman now!" Flash yelled suddenly as a blue and red dot in the sky drew closer to the ground.

"For all we know, the princess could be here too… we just can't see her. Invisible jet…," Hal snickered. "Why does she even need a flying vehicle when she can fly herself?"

"I drive a car. You fly airplanes for a living," Flash pointed out.

"**Yeah**, because **we** have secret identities to maintain," Hal said, gesturing with his hands as he spoke, "But she doesn't even wear a mask. People could spot her a mile away with that pretty face of hers. She doesn't have to act like a normal person, she could just fly around and be super 24/7 if she wanted to!"

"See, that right there is the key: 'if she wanted to'. Clearly, she doesn't," Flash said matter-of-factly.

"I'm here," Superman announced as he landed, "aren't you guys trying to contain this situation?"

"We're waiting for Wonder Woman… and you evidently," Hal said with arms crossed. "We couldn't do a darn a thing when we tried to jump in there and stop them ourselves a little while ago. These guys are coming out of the wetwork like cockroaches. For all we know, there's an infinite number of 'em."

"What Green Lantern is _trying_ to say is we could really use your help with this. Sorry to drag you all of the way out here at this time of day," Flash said apologetically.

"It's alright. This city is a whole time zone behind Metropolis. The sun's already going down there. It's nice to have an extra hour of daylight," Superman said pleasantly.

"Anyone else hear that?" Hal asked as he looked towards the sky. Without warning, Wonder Woman seemed to materialize out of nowhere and drop down next to the three gathered heroes.

"I was hoping that was what that sound was," Hal said with a side smile.

"Alright, looks like this is as much help as we're going to get," Flash said nervously, "I'll try to push through them and take a crack at whatever they're building in that crater. I could use some cover and crowd control."

"I think I can do a little bit of that," Superman said enthusiastically as he sized up the threat. The goons were swarming around the crater like bees – their outfits consisting of full body yellow suits (appropriately). Their power tools made buzzing sounds that also contributed to the insect motif.

"Ladies first," Hal said with a grin as he gestured for Wonder Woman to lead the attack. She shot a bewildered glance at him, then advanced towards the collection of drones. After a sufficient amount of them had been pulled away from the crater, Flash sprinted in towards it. Upon landing inside, he got a full glimpse of what the invaders had been creating. It was a mass comprised halfway of metal, half organic material that resembled a honeycomb. The scarier part was that it was growing!

Flash was suddenly grabbed from behind and tossed onto the ground just outside of the crater. A pack of drones were on top of him in seconds. All of the ones that weren't currently preoccupied by another League member turned and joined in the fray. Flash frantically shook as many off as he could, but there were just too many… he became helplessly pinned to the ground as he took a beating.

Wonder Woman and Superman each finished off the drone that they were currently tussling with and leapt to help their fallen teammate. Green Lantern got a little bit of altitude before constructing a potato gun out of green light and firing it into the mass of drones.

"Geez Flash, they **really** don't like you!"

Almost immediately after saying that, a series of energy bursts hit the Green Lantern in rapid succession. He found himself momentarily paralyzed as he fell to the ground with a groan. A group of drones that had broken off from jumping Flash were now firing at the Lantern with black wands. They chanted in irritating voices that had a buzzing tone to them: "Stzzzing him!"

"What the-" was all Hal could muster before launching into another heavy groan from the paralyzing pain. This caught Superman's attention who was still punching at the dogpile of drones on top of Flash.

"I'm going to break off and help Green Lantern. Then I'm going to see what I can do about stopping this," he shouted to Wonder Woman who quickly nodded in acknowledgement.

Taking out the drones that were firing on Hal (he was largely immune to their energy attacks), Superman helped the glowing hero to his feet then launched himself into the crater. Grasping the enlarging honeycomb with both hands, he tore it half – ripping it straight down the middle. Almost instantaneously, it began to repair the damage done to it. Wide eyed, the Kryptonian tore into it again. This time, he fired his heat vision into the exposed core.

At first, nothing seemed to happen. However, it gradually heated up and the self-repair routine slowed. Eventually, the honeycomb began to explode from the inside out – metal shrapnel flying everywhere. The pieces disintegrated as they hit the ground around the crater.

The drones suddenly stopped everything that they were doing. With panicked looking faces, they began taking flight as they shot into the sky at breakneck speeds. Some stopped to contain their fallen drone partners in bright yellow force fields which they in turn picked up and flew off with. Soon enough, none were left, as the heroes stood speechless in their wake.

"What. Just. Happened?" Hal said rubbing his face.

"I think… we won..? Maybe?" Flash said as Wonder Woman helped him to his feet.

"I'm glad to see you're able to stand," she commented as she looked his torn costume up and down. "Their attacks were fierce. You weathered them well."

"Thanks," Flash replied, blushing ever so slightly. He dusted off his knees and looked towards the fallen Flash statue once again.

"I've got it," Superman said as he flew over to where laid. He hoisted it up and pushed it until it stood right side up. The right hand and right foot had fallen off, and the head followed in stride after a couple of seconds. Flash's shoulders drooped.

"Don't sweat it Barrmeister," Hal said cheerfully. "The city owes you, like, 500 statues by now. They'll replace it soon enough."

"Eh, it's not a big deal anyway. Sometimes I don't really like the feeling that people want to build shrines to me," Barry said with a faint smile.

"*Pfft* Whatever you say," Hal said shaking his head.

* * *

Both the police and the press wanted a statement from each of the League members after they arrived on the scene. Each one took about five minutes, but it was getting dark by the time all of the heroes were let go. Clouds were rolling in as the wind picked up a little.

"I don't recall rain in the forecast," Flash said as he held out his hand in anticipation.

"Doesn't matter. You can eat pizza indoors," Hal said as he rejoined the group. The young reporter girl held his attention for a little bit longer than the rest of the heroes. "So, how about it?"

"You're inviting me?" Barry asked in a surprised tone. "I thought you only wanted… um… *ahem* Well, in any case, I'm not so sure that-"

"You're all invited!" Hal exclaimed as he interrupted mid-sentence, "Why don't we grab a slice or two together before you take off? You guys look starved." He draped his arms around Wonder Woman and Superman's shoulders after stepping in between them.

The two exchanged knowing looks without saying anything. They silently reminded each other of their talk last week while in the coffee shop booth.

The topic of conversation had turned back to the Justice League as they talked about their impressions of the other League members. Of course Hal dominated the majority of the conversation (for better or worse), but they both agreed to give the guy a chance the next time he suggested that the team go out and do something. They just weren't counting on it happening so soon.

"That's a very thoughtful offer Hal…" Superman began uncomfortably.

"We'd be happy to join you," Wonder Woman interjected. Hal's eyes lit up underneath his mask.

"You mean it?"

"Yes. You said yourself that we need to be able to connect as people if we hope to work well together as warriors," she reasoned. Hal was almost shaking with excitement.

"I can't believe it! The princess is stepping outside of the castle for once! You sure you don't have a business meeting or a top secret government appointment to attend to?" he asked with raised eyebrows. Wonder Woman rolled her eyes. Her patience would soon begin to dwindle. She was about ready to pull the plug on her accommodating mood when Hal let it go. "Well, all right then! You coming too, space cowboy?"

Superman's expression darkened a bit at the unfavorable nickname, but remained civil. "Absolutely."

"Sweet. Looks like you're outvoted Barrster," Hal said, smiling devilishly.

"Ugh. Fine. I know a good place. But I need a change of clothes and an aspirin first," Flash said as he massaged his temples.

Hal hesitated for a moment. "Speaking of which…"

* * *

Twenty five minutes later, the four entered into Tony's Homestyle Italian Restaurant in full civilian clothing. Superman always wore his civilian clothes underneath his superhero outfit so he could switch them vice versa as needed. Hal shamelessly marched into the nearest beauty store and grabbed a gratuitous amount of sample makeup for Wonder Woman to help change her appearance. Reluctantly putting it on and tying her hair up in a bun, she looked suitably different from her heroic persona.

Their guises proved to work well as the bored looking hostess monotonously asked them the size of their party. She disinterestedly grabbed four menus and led the group through the crowded dining room. Families, couples, and gaggles of teenagers buzzed the air with their conversations as they ate their meals. The sensory input from the sounds, smells, and sights almost made Diana dizzy. But it was a good kind of dizzy.

Their table was positioned in the back corner of the dining room. It was quieter, but remarkably darker. Hal inconspicuously let his ring shine at the lowest possible setting to assist reading his menu. Flipping through it rapidly, he shut it and glared at the blonde haired man across the table.

"What gives Barry? This thing is barely in English!" he growled.

"This is a traditional Italian restaurant, not a fast food chain," Barry retorted defensively. "They want to give diners the most authentic experience possible."

"I didn't want 'authentic'. I'd have told you to run to Italy and pick us up a few pies if that was the goal. A Pizza Hut or Dominoes would've sufficed," Hal shot back as he picked up the menu again – turning through it at a slower pace.

"I like to support the little guy," Barry said with a small smile. "You know, rather than the big commercial chains. I'm a friend of Tony. He's really great once you meet him."

"Look at this guy," Hal said to Clark and Diana who were quietly looking through the menu for themselves, "good ol' country boy who eats locally and probably organically. They probably don't even have fast food in this city. Midwesterners wouldn't know a Taco Bell from a KFC."

"They're owned by the same company…" Barry pointed out flatly.

"Shut up Barry, I'm making a point," Hal said wagging his index finger in the air. He stopped abruptly when he noticed the middle aged waitress standing at the edge of the table with a flip pad. "Oh," he said with a transformed tone of voice, "good evening… _Lorraine_." He didn't hide the fact that he was reading from her nametag. Her face barely moved as she sniffled and clicked the pen in her hand.

"How're you doing Barry? Haven't seen you in a while. Things going well with Iris?" she said ignoring Hal for the moment.

"Very well, Mrs. Harrington! Iris and I are actually engaged!" Barry said pleasantly.

"Lovely! Congratulations!" she said with a smile. "Well, good evening folks. I'm Lorraine, I'll be your waitress this evening. Is there anything I start you off with to drink?"

The group rattled off their orders ending with Hal who added, "do you guys deliver from the bar, or do I have to walk over there?"

"You're young and strong, boy. It's a short walk in that direction," Lorraine said jerking her thumb over her shoulder.

"Right. Iced tea it is," he said.

"It's unsweetened."

"Dangit."

The waitress walked off towards the kitchen and the group resumed their browsing of the menu. Hal flipped forwards and backwards in frustration until giving up. "Do they even serve pizza here?"

"It's on the third page," Clark said holding up his menu to demonstrate. "Left side."

"Thanks big blue," Hal said with a side smile then hesitated. "Well, I guess I can't call you that when you're not wearing… you know."

"Hal," Barry whispered through gritted teeth.

"Relax Barrinator, no one's going to figure anything out," Hal said dismissively. He stole a peek over his shoulder at the people in the next booth. It was an elderly couple who looked as if they were falling asleep. "See?" Barry rolled his eyes.

"You said something about getting married," Diana interjected. "Congratulations! I don't remember you mentioning it before."

"That's because I kind of try to keep it on the down low," Barry explained as he fought back a grin. "The fewer people that know that Iris and I are tying the knot, the fewer people that can target her should they learn my identity."

Hal chuckled. "It's going to get pretty tough to keep _her_ from finding out about your red pajama wearing adventures once you two exchange rings though. Death, taxes, and nosy wives are the three things guys'll **never** outrun. Even you."

"I'm trying to figure out a way to tell her… it's just that we've been together for so long and I've kind of been hiding it from her. I'm not sure how she'll take it if I just tell her out of the blue," Barry confessed.

"She's a nice girl, she'll understand. She puts up with me every time I play third wheel on your dates," Hal laughed. Barry was certainly not laughing at that particular set of memories.

"Perhaps she'll love you more for trusting her with that knowledge," Diana suggested, "you'll certainly have a lot to consider if you choose to continue your life this way with her."

"Maybe," Barry said. He was starting to visibly become uncomfortable with this topic. Clark decided to swoop in to the rescue.

"I'm thinking about not going for pizza after all," he said turning a page of the menu. "There are so many dishes I've never heard of in here… so many of them sound so good."

"Maybe you haven't _heard_ of them because they're all in a _different language_," Hal said acerbically as he stared hard at Barry.

"The descriptions are all in plain English," Diana observed. "It's not even my first language and I can understand it well enough."

"Look at that, we've got a genius over here," Hal said waving his hands sarcastically. Clark and Diana both frowned deeply at him.

"I'm thinking about the Bucatini Bellagio," Barry said looking at his menu.

"Some of the soups sounded pretty good," Clark commented, "I think I'll give the Minestrone a try."

"So that's it, no one's getting pizza?" Hal asked disappointedly. Diana was flipping back and forth through the menu with narrowed eyes. She was clearly still undecided. "How about it, princess?" Hal asked leaning over to her. "You up for splitting a pie?"

"No thank you Hal," she said leaning away. "I've tried pizza before. It tastes good enough, but it's fairly frustrating to eat without separating the layer of cheese off of the bread."

"Oh geez I know, right?" Clark chimed in. "The worst part is when you've either saved too many toppings by the time you've reached the crust, or eaten too many before making it halfway through!" Barry gave an understanding nod.

"Yo, first world problems to the extreme, guys," Hal said with a scowl. "Guess I'll just have to have the whole thing for myself."

"You're going to eat an entire pizza by yourself?" Barry asked incredulously.

"Yeah, why not? Don't think I can handle it?" Hal asked defiantly.

"There's nothing to prove, Hal. I'm just wondering if your eyes are swelling a little bigger than your stomach."

"Yeah, well I'm going for it. And I'm getting meat lovers since there's no one to tell me not to. And to quote the great Ron Swanson, 'I can and will consume as much as I want, for I am a free American'… I'm paraphrasing obviously."

Barry just shook his head. The waitress came back with drinks and took everyone's orders. Hal's ordering of an entire pizza pie for himself neither fazed nor drew reaction from her. Clark and Barry assumed that all of her years of waitressing allowed her to see a lot.

Finally, she turned to Wonder Woman who still seemed unsure of what she wanted.

"May I suggest the pasta of the day? It's absolutely magical," Lorraine said with feigned interest. Wonder Woman quickly looked up at the waitress at the mention of the word 'magical'. Looking across the table she saw Clark mouthing "Figure of speech" at her to let her know that Lorraine didn't mean it literally.

"That sounds perfect," she said closing the menu and smiling pleasantly. Lorraine collected the menus and waltzed off to place the orders.

* * *

About thirty minutes went by before they had any indication of food coming. The complimentary bread basket came about half-way through this time to tide everyone over, but they were all very hungry.

When it finally did come, the server boy felt at a loss for where to lay Hal's enormous 9-slice pizza on the tiny booth table. Hal had him set it up on a tray stand nearby and insisted that anyone who wanted a slice to dig in. Everyone took at least ten minutes to enjoy their food with little conversation. Diana especially seemed enraptured with her plate of pasta. She ate as if she had been fasting for days.

To Hal's credit, he finished seven slices without a second thought. Rubbing it in Barry's face, he announced that he would finish the other two in a bit after he had a break. Leaning forward, he hit the table with his elbows with such a force that everyone jumped from the surprise.

"Okay, can we talk about something that's been bothering me for a _reeeeally_ long time? What's the deal with Batman on this team?" he asked as he made eye contact with each member at the table.

"What about him?" Clark asked suspiciously.

"Has anyone noticed that he skips out on us, like, every other mission? And when he does show up, he doesn't say a word to anyone unless if you're in his way? And then he'll just… leave without acknowledging the freakin' awesome job we just did taking down whatever we took down? Doesn't that bother anyone else?" Hal asked in a lowered volume.

"I've got no problem with him. He's saved my life a couple of times in battle," Barry said with a shrug.

"People have different personalities, Hal," Clark added. "He's just a quieter man. That doesn't make his contribution to the team any less valuable…"

"Ho, yeah. 'Contributing'. Speaking of which…" Hal began. Barry was wildly gesturing for him to cut it out and drop the subject but was ignored as expected. "Why does he feel so entitled to roll with this team of the world's strongest, fastest, most awesome superheroes when he's not even a superhero himself?"

Clark's eyes widened fast. He was stunned by what he just heard come out of Hal's mouth.

Diana glared at him and asked, "What in Hera's name makes you say that?"

"I'd like to hear this as well," Barry said with a similar glare.

"Um… the name maybe? **Super**heroes require something to be **super** about them. For instance, you could be able to leap buildings in a single bound like Super Scout over here. Or maybe run faster than the speed of sound. Or make killer shapes out of hardened light like me. Running around with explosive toys and a mask does not qualify you. He's a vigilante," Hal insisted, "a darn good one, but nowhere close to _our_ league."

Diana clenched her fists and furrowed her brow. "Excuse me if I'm being too forward," she said harshly, "but you of all people are not fit to make judgments about what makes a valuable warrior."

"Of all people? Do tell," Hal said with a sour look.

"You're arrogant, insensitive, and often unfocused in a fight," she recalled. "You pursue superficial relationships and fail to acknowledge your faults. Those traits alone weaken you: you will struggle to make allies and be more vulnerable to your weaknesses as a result. A true warrior is able to embrace those that wish to help then as well as embrace their weak points which allow them to better guard against their exploitation."

"Well that's quite a mouthful you just dumped on me, but how does that merit anything to Batman?" Hal asked angrily. It was clear that his feeling were getting hurt.

"From what I've observed with my short time around him, he has a deep conviction about him that I don't know if even I possess. Something… is _driving_ him to pursue justice and I think that's admirable," Diana said.

"And despite his lack of abilities, he's always been just as invested in our battles as any of us," Clark said gesturing to Diana and Barry. "He's never backed away from the fight once he's in – even if the powers of the opponent greatly outmatch him. He's a man who truly possesses no fear."

"**OH REALLY**? Being a 'man without fear' is in my freaking job description. **Fear** is the opposite of **will** which **powers** my **power ring**," Hal growled. He half rose out his seat as he spoke. "After the purple guy before me died, his ring shot off into space and sought out the closest candidate to fill that requirement… and it picked me out of all of the beings in this sector. I don't see him sporting a green ring from an intergalactic peacekeeping force. So that point is moot."

"**No**," Diana exclaimed, equally indignant, "it **isn't**. A warrior's worth isn't in the weapons or endowments that they've received, it's the core of their personhood that determines it." As ticked off as Hal felt at the moment, he couldn't resist the inner chuckle sparked by Diana's use of the word 'endowments'. "The fact that, without powers, he is equally valiant to those that possess them proves the strength of his spirit. For that reason, I'm proud to stand beside him in battle when the opportunity presents itself." She was nearly seething at this point. Hal was taking aback at the realization that he really messed things up between them now. So much for asking her to go clubbing…

"And just like Barry said, he's proven his trustworthiness to us," Clark continued. "He's had our backs from the beginning – despite not being sure if he could even trust us. He managed to suppress his judgment until after the ordeal was over and done with. Something I'm sure you could benefit from."

"Gee, I didn't realize that this was 'jump on anybody with an opinion hour'. I think I'm just about done here," Hal said with burning eyes.

"Don't let us stop you," Diana retorted, sliding out of the booth's seat to allow the seething man to get out.

Hal pulled out his wallet and tossed a wad of cash onto the table. "Should cover my portion plus tip," he said bitterly as he proceeded to get out of the booth. Barry shifted his eyes around between Clark, Diana, and Hal, hoping to see a silver lining to this conflict. Unfortunately, he didn't see one just yet. He figured everyone needed to cool off before any council could be given.

Diana sat back down with a flustered expression. Clark seemed equally peeved as he finished the last bit of his soup. Barry leaned forward a bit after awkwardly sitting there for a couple of seconds. "You guys have to understand that he's a bit hot-headed and sometimes speaks before he thinks, but he's really a great guy when you spend enough time with him."

Diana and Clark locked eyes for a moment.

"We gave him a chance," Diana said.

"We did," Clark replied.

"Guess you were right then."

"But I believe Barry. I'm sure he'll come around," Clark said. He didn't sound entirely convinced as he said it. But his upbringing taught him to try to see the best in everyone – including those that wholeheartedly disagreed with you.

More awkward silence permeated what remained of the meal until the check arrived.

"I'll take care of this guys," Barry said picking it up.

"You really don't have to," Clark said pulling out some cash.

"But I want to. This is my city, I would be a terrible host if I didn't," Barry insisted.

"But really," Clark tried to insist again. Barry held the book at arms-length and swiftly moved it away each time Clark tried to grab it. A smile broke through on all three's faces. Clark relented and Barry counted everything up. "You won't stop me from leaving tip though."

"I guess I won't," Barry said with a smile.

"You know, maybe Batman acts the way he does because none of us have made the effort to reach out to him," Diana speculated out loud. Clark and Barry both looked at her and shrugged. Clark's eyes drooped a little as he realized her continued interest in Batman. The tone of her voice when she was talking about him… it changed a little. However, he successfully shook the feeling out of his mind, dismissing it.

"Sometimes all people need is a friend," Clark reasoned, "maybe he'd agree to coming with us on our next outing."

"You mean this'll become a regular thing? After we do all of the superhero stuff that is?" Barry asked.

"Hera willing, yes," Diana said affirmatively. "I've only experienced coffee and pizza so far. I'm sure there's more to your lives that?"

"Only 95%," Barry said with a smile.

* * *

_That about wraps it up for this time. I know I've kinda written Hal as a jerk, but you'll see that he's not a __**total**__ jerk all of time. Also, I am aware that this story is severely lacking in Batman despite my comments. Don't worry, he'll work his way in slowly but surely. But he's heavy on the loner phase right now… his presence within the team hasn't developed to the point that JL/JLU portrayed it quite yet._

_I'm still taking ideas for things to do during these off-duty outings with the League. It won't all be food/drink, some of them will be actual activities down the road. But my idea stack is limited since I don't typically get out much myself XD What do normal do for fun?_

_Anyways, I hope you're still enjoying the story. The appearance of the HIVE drones (I based them off of their DC Universe Online portrayals for the sake of this chapter) is not as isolated as Starro was. Something of a plot will develop eventually. For now, the episodic stuff is pretty fun to write. Chapter 3 should be up soon!_


	3. Mount Justice

_I do not own DC Comics, its characters, locations, or fictional elements. All rights belong to the appropriate parties. No copyright infringement intended. The picture is from the film Justice League: Doom. All rights associated with it belongs to the appropriate parties._

_Author's note: Hey guys._

_I'm glad to see that people are willing to put forth constructive criticism to help boost the enjoyability of this story! I don't mind discussing elements of it over PM or in the Review comment section if you have questions or comments. I had a sinking feeling that Hal's Batman argument would be a little controversial when I wrote it :( But rest assured that it's not random – there is a method to this madness! I'm a firm believer in "everything happens for a reason" and try to reflect it in the stories I write._

_Anyway, you'll notice that this episode is a lot shorter than the others. I guess you could call it something of a transition chapter, but the usual length will return in episode 4. I've decided that updates will now come out weekly rather than every three days. I think I might have rushed myself a little last time which I know isn't good practice. Hopefully that'll mean better stories with less mistakes and better plot decisions moving forward._

_In any case, this story marches on with chapter 3! As usual, hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Justice League: Off Duty**

**Episode 3**

**Superman/Wonder Woman/Batman/Flash/Aquaman  
Mount Justice**

* * *

To most people, Happy Harbor, Rhode Island was a just a cutesy little boating town that sat at the edge of the coast. It wasn't world famous – or even nationally famous for the majority of its existence. Yet, it still managed to serve as the unofficial headquarters of the world's most famous team of superheroes.

It was in this town that the Justice League fought the last leg of its battle against the Appellaxians… a clan of alien conquerors that represented the seven tribes of their homeworld. They had come to Earth as part of a contest designed to prove which of the aliens was most fit to lead their people as 'Kalar' (meaning "emperor"). Their destruction in pursuit of this challenge drew the attention of the world's heroes who fought back against the assault. Six of them converged on the location of the last standing alien competitor – the Golden Roc. Together, they took the creature out before it finished amassing its forces to control the eastern coast of the United States. Apparently, it had settled in Happy Harbor and planned to expand from there.

The people of the town were nearly frantic with gratitude after the intervention from the heroes. They pledged to name the local park "Justice League Park" when it was renovated and reopened. They also renamed the prominent mountain that sat at the edge of the docks "Justice Mountain". Little did they know, the League would keep a close connection to this iconic location. Literally.

"Do surface dwellers ever grow tired of spending so much time in enclosed spaces?" Aquaman asked with an uppity tone. He stood at the top level of the Justice League's unofficial headquarters (located in the hollowed middle of Justice Mountain).

"Sometimes. Usually when it gets warmer outside," Superman replied as he set another box onto a nearby cart. It contained the remnants of the HIVE technology the team recovered during their most recent battle. The drones that were first encountered in Central City two weeks ago had made appearances in four other locations around the world since then.

"Atlantis contains few buildings," Aquaman said matter-of-factly, "and those that do exist are purposed either for lodging or cooking."

"What about your palace?"

"It serves those two purposes for my advisors and servants and I. All kingly duties are carried out in open water."

"Fascinating."

The clicking keyboard sounds coming from the next room came to a stop. Batman emerged from the room wordlessly and made his way to where Clark was loading the cart of HIVE artifacts.

"Is this all of it?" he asked as he eyed the contents of the cart.

"Afraid so," Superman replied. Batman gave a curt nod and wheeled the cart over to the makeshift elevator shaft. About halfway through its journey to the top level, the elevator platform suddenly stopped and began making an unpleasant grinding noise. Sparks spat from the bottom in rapid spurts. Batman quickly leapt to the control panel to kill the power feeding into the lift mechanism.

Shaking his head, Aquaman commented, "Your dysfunctional technology continues to evade my understanding. Its failures seem so widespread."

"Our technology helps us out every now and then," Superman countered, "just not in our headquarters apparently."

Batman broke away from experimenting with the lift mechanism and began fiddling with his utility belt. Superman walked over to the Caped Crusader as he craned his neck trying to see what he was doing.

"Want any help?" he asked as he got within arm's distance of the cart. He was prepared to lift it and fly it down to the lower level where Batman typically stored League related tech when he wasn't working on it.

"I've got it," the Dark Knight muttered as he pulled out a long cable. In a matter of minutes, he constructed a manual pulley from the cable, a hook, the pulling mechanism in his spare grapple gun, and an assortment of other random gadgets he seemingly happened to have on him at the time. Fastening the top portion, he glided down to the stuck elevator platform and began toying with its end of the mechanism. Scaling the inside wall of the lift, he activated the grapple gun's pull feature and manually assisted in its lifting of the stuck elevator. Superman couldn't hold back a smile as he watched the elevator rise to a stop at the top of the track. Batman pulled the gate open, wheeled the cart onto the platform, and then reversed the zip line's pull to allow the car to descend again.

Once the platform was out of sight (and presumably out of earshot), Aquaman turned towards Superman again with a puzzled look.

"Was all of that necessary?"

"Necessary for him I guess," Superman said with a shrug.

"You could have transported the cart yourself in mere seconds. Is self-reliance so precious to you surface dwellers that you're willing to sacrifice extraneous effort?"

"Sometimes it seems that way. He got it done at least."

Aquaman looked back towards the empty elevator track with a trace of admiration. "Indeed."

* * *

Wonder Woman stood at the controls of the vehicle bay on the bottommost level of the League headquarters. The most technologically involved portion of the base, it contained two runways that sat perpendicular to one another with which the League members who used vehicles entered and exited. Essentially, just Wonder Woman and Batman.

The Flash zipped up to her from the end of one of the runways. He was just arriving from assisting in a search and rescue operation in the Philippines.

"Hey Diana," he called giving her a slight wave.

"Hello Barry," she said with a warm smile, looking up from her task to acknowledge her teammate. She was rotating the panel that held her invisible jet so that it lined up with the exit runway.

"Heading out I take it?" Flash asked as he stared at the panel, attempting to guess where the tip of the cloaked plane began.

"Unfortunately. There's a dinner with the UN Security Council representatives that I've been requested to attend. I'd rather not, but it'll be an important step in getting Themyscira recognized as a sovereign nation by your world's leaders."

"Oh. Well… best of luck on that," Barry said, deciding that he was wasting his time in trying to figure out the shape of the plane. "Say, how do you where to get in when you want to fly your plane?"

"With practice most probably…" came a voice behind him. Flash and Wonder Woman both turned to watch Batman roll his cart across the hangar towards his own aircraft – the formidable Batwing.

"Batman!" Diana exclaimed pleasantly. "I trust your assessments are going well?"

"We don't possess the proper equipment for me to fully evaluate this recovered technology here in the cave," Batman said emotionlessly. "I'm going to my personal lab space to carry out the rest of my investigation."

"Fair enough. Wish you the best," Flash said with an awkward thumbs up. Scratching the back of his head, his eyes suddenly widened as if he remembered something. "Oh yeah, Batman, we… the other members of the League and I, were wondering if you'd be interested in maybe coming along to… hang out some time? You know, one of these days after everything slows down? We figured spending a little time out of costume would help us connect a little more on a personal level. Strengthen teammate bonds and what not. A-as long as you're comfortable with being around us in… *ahem* your civilian identity that is. _Whatever_ that happens to be. No pressure, just wondering…" He stuttered through the whole thing as Batman continued to load the cargo compartment of the Batwing without skipping a beat. Flash continued to rub the back of his head after getting no response for a couple more seconds and Batman packed the last crate.

Emerging from the lowered ramp, he clicked the door's trigger to automatically close. "A generous offer," he commented as he returned the trigger to his utility belt. "However, I'll pass."

"We would really enjoy your company," Diana chimed in, "you've done more than your share of helping this team operate at the capacity that it has. We'd just like to have another point of contact to understand one another better."

"I said, I'll pass," Batman repeated. Though his voice was stern, it was markedly patient. Diana frowned at his evasion.

"We could join you in Gotham one evening if you'd rather stay closer to home," Barry offered.

"I'm typically busy during the evenings," Batman said firmly. "I will not go so far to say that this team holds little importance. The world has benefitted several times from our work together. However, my priorities as an individual will continue to hold more weight in where I choose to spend my time. My commitments lie in Gotham and I need to attend to them before getting involved in the League's business here in the Harbor or elsewhere."

Diana and Barry's frowns did little to sway him. He continued his walk over to the cart and moved the remainder of its contents to another part of the cave.

"I guess some people just will not be shaken…" Barry shrugged after Batman was out of the room.

"No one ever closes others out without a valid reason," Diana said returning her attention to the console. "Like Clark said, sometimes all people need is someone that will reach out to them – look past the superficial and meet them where they are. Things like that take time, but they're often worth it. The quietest of souls can bring the richest of relationships."

"Wow," said Barry in an impressed tone, "you're quite the sage sometimes. "

"I only speak what I feel."

"Not a bad thing to do. Anyway, I think I'll head up. Is Clark here?"

"Yes. He and Arthur were packing the materials Batman just brought last I heard. They're probably still up there," Diana said quickly looking up to the elevator shaft and back down.

"Alright, I'll go poke my head in to see what they're up to. Take care," Barry said making his way over to the lift.

"You too," Diana said as she stepped away from the console. She ascended up the cockpit of her jet which she opened in preparation to enter.

"You'll have a difficult time with the elevator, Flash," she heard behind her before she was fully inside. She turned her head to see Batman returning – on his way to the console to line the Batwing's panel to the opposite runway.

"What, did it tell you it was going on strike after you used it?" Barry joked, also looking over his shoulder towards the vigilante.

"It's out of commission. I'll look into fixing it when I come back," Batman said, ignoring the poor attempt at humor. Barry shrugged and jogged for the makeshift staircase.

"So you are planning to return at some point," Diana teased with a side smile. Batman ignored that as well. "Well, have a safe flight," she said finally, ducking into the invisible jet. It may have been her imagination, but she though she faintly heard him reciprocate as the engines roared to life.

* * *

_Like I said, short but (hopefully) sweet. It was bothering just as much as it's probably been bothering you that Batman was nowhere to be found. Rest assured, he'll be here, but like the Guest reviewer appropriately pointed out, the Dark Knight wouldn't be so giddy over the idea of going to a coffee shop or pizza restaurant in his civilian identity (which the team doesn't even know yet) just to 'hang out'. But I guarantee that he will have involvement._

_So, like I said, updates coming weekly now. You can expect to see the next one next weekend at the earliest. Thank you so much for your support and continued visits to my story! I'm very interested in hearing what you have to say so feel free to leave a review!_


	4. Day of Thanksgiving Part 1

_I do not own DC Comics, its characters, locations, or fictional elements. All rights belong to the appropriate parties. No copyright infringement intended. The picture is from the film Justice League: Doom. All rights associated with it belongs to the appropriate parties._

_Author's Note: What's going on everyone?_

_Sorry that I'm barely making the weekend goal by the skin of my teeth. I've got quite a bit going on as project deadlines draw near and final exams loom. I'm so ready for my 5-week winter break coming up in a few weeks. However, in anticipation for this coming holiday week here in America, I figured this new update should be themed appropriately._

_Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the States, so this chapter will turn into another food outing. I know, I said that I wanted to get away from those, but this will hopefully be worth it!_

_On a whim, I've decided to split this update into two parts. I've gotten about half of it written (what you see here). I'll have the rest of it done by Thursday (Thanksgiving day) if all goes well so you'll be able to enjoy it in time! Next half will probably be a little longer. Probably. Not entirely sure yet. In any case, hope you enjoy!_

* * *

**Justice League: Off Duty**

**Episode 4a**

**Superman/Wonder Woman /Batman/Flash  
Day of Thanksgiving Part 1**

* * *

Awkward silence permeated the Justice League's meeting room as a subtle "game" of hot potato ran its course.

Batman's gaze jumped from one team member to another – each eye contact causing the targeted hero to uncomfortably avert their eyes to another location in the room. The four of them feared that the Dark Knight was getting peeved over their unresponsiveness, but they all were getting antsy to leave for the night.

"If no one has anything additional to contribute," Batman said, finally breaking the silence, "then this meeting is adjourned. Have a good evening." And just like that, their half hour long debrief meeting ended. Subtle sighs of relief escaped across the table as everyone prepared to leave the cave.

Aquaman was the first to disembark – granting his teammates a rushed farewell, he swifty darted out of the room and off to the exit hangar.

"What's his deal?" Flash asked with a raised eyebrow.

"He must return to Atlantis to prepare for a special dinner being held in his palace," Wonder Woman explained, eyeing Batman as he stoically gathered his equipment at the other end of the room. "His wife Mera has recently learned that she is expecting their first child. Atlantis will have a proper heir to the throne at last which is cause for much celebration. They will make the announcement during the meal."

"Oh wow!" Clark exclaimed, beaming wide. "I wish he had told us before ducking out."

"Yeah, we'll congratulate his majesty if he decides to show his face around here again. How did you find out?" Flash asked in a huff.

"He confided in me during our trip back from Metropolis this afternoon. He seemed quite anxious and unlike his usual self. So I asked him what was wrong," Wonder Woman continued, frowning a bit as Batman marched out of the room disinterestedly.

"I guess it's kind of an awkward piece of news to just break to people. Even for someone like him," Barry reasoned.

"His concern is mostly focused on how the news will be received by his ward, a young boy named Garth. Like Arthur, he is a half-Atlantean that has joined the ranks of the royal court. Arthur has been training him as something of a partner – originally intended to succeed him one day since it was previously believed that he and Mera were unable to have children. Now that one has been conceived, Garth will no longer be in line to become king. Arthur cares deeply for the boy and is worried that the announcement will hurt their good relationship," Diana said sullenly.

"That's a tough spot to be in," Clark said with a nod, "but I wish him the best of luck. I know he'll make it right."

"Same here," Flash agreed. He suddenly perked up as if he remembered something. "Hey guys, sorry to change the subject, but there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while. Do either of you have any Thanksgiving plans lined up for tomorrow night?" Diana's blank stare made him facepalm. "D'oh! I forgot you're not from around here. Well, basically, Thanksgiving is this neat holiday where people gather their loved ones and share a giant meal to celebrate the end of the harvest. At its core, it's a day to reminisce about everything we have to be thankful for. It's a rare occasion, but people in this country can take a few steps back and do some positive introspection sometimes."

"Yep, for all of six hours everyone shares a collective warm fuzzy feeling," Clark chuckled, "then 'introspective' turns into 'retrospective' as people de-evolve for Black Friday."

Barry brought his index fingers to his lips as he shushed him hurriedly. "One heartwarming tradition at a time, Clark. Preferably the nice ones." Diana's blank looked had morphed into one of confusion. Barry rubbed the back of his head. "I figured since you're still pretty new and definitely haven't seen something like this yet, you might want to try out another slice of life here in our country."

"It's definitely a very kind offer," Diana said, looking at the ceiling as she thought. Clark didn't bother holding back his smile at the sight of her musing. He suppressed it as he turned to face Barry.

"I agree, it's really nice of you to invite us, but I've got my mother flying in from Kansas. She figured that I'd be too busy to go to her, so she's coming to 'invade' my apartment for the rest of the week. We'll probably scrape together a small dinner or something…"

"Oh no no no! Bring her along! Iris's family practically holds the saying 'the more the merrier' as gospel! We'll have more food than we can get rid of anyway!" Barry did his best to hide the hesitation in his voice. Under normal circumstances (as a normal family), they'd have more food than they could get rid of. However, there was an x-factor that Barry had forgotten before saying what he did. Iris's brother's son… her nephew. His soon-to-be nephew. With him in attendance, they might not have enough food.

Shaking the thought, he forced a reassuring smile. Diana seemed to have reached a decision. "I'd be happy to come," she said with a smile.

"Excellent!"

"I'll talk it over with Ma, but I'm sure she'll say yes… She knows I'm Superman, so we can just fly over," Superman decided at last.

"Perfect!"

"So… what kind of customs do your people have for this event? Is there a certain dress? Should we bring gifts?" Diana asked inquisitively.

"No, no. The gift-giving holiday comes later. Soon, but later," Barry explained. "And don't worry about dressing up. It's a family event, we're pretty casual people."

"Very well," Diana said, straightening up. "On Themyscira, we have many festivals to express gratitude to the gods. Each one has different meaning and thus different rituals involved. I didn't want to offend you by not adhering to them if there were any."

"Nope, just one day to thankful, and that's it," Clark chimed. "As bad as that sounds…"

"Yeah," Barry said with a light laugh. "So, dinner will be as early as possible. 4 or 5 PM hopefully. Central time."

"Got it, see you then!" Clark said waving as he took off out of the room.

"See you tomorrow," Diana said as well, right behind him.

Barry stood alone in the meeting room for a couple moments more in deep thought. He was thrilled that his teammates accepted his invitation so freely, but he realized that this sparked a whole different issue – how he was going to explain to Iris who all of these people were and why they were coming to dinner…

* * *

At the bright, early time of 6:30 AM, Barry was forced awake by the sustained ringing of the doorbell. Drowsily stumbling out of bed at a normal human being's speed, he barely navigated his bedroom with one eye half opened.

Swaying as he walked, he made his way down the stairs to his living room and to the front door. Not bothering to check the peep hole, he opened it to be greeted by two enormous paper grocery bags. Taking two steps back, both of his eyes shot open as he craned his neck to see who was hiding behind them.

"It only took you 50 seconds to get up and answer this time! I see you're improving!" said a cheerful female voice.

"Iris! What a non-surprise!" Barry laughed, stepping to the side to allow his fiancée to enter the house. She carried the bags straight back to the kitchen, trailing a breeze holding the scent of her shampoo. Barry suddenly became very self-conscious about his current lack of a shower and basic grooming due to just crawling out of bed. Iris always smelled good wherever she went, so any blame for unfavorable smells would instantly fall on him.

She reentered the room with arms free – making a beeline for the door suggesting that there were more bags to carry.

"I'll grab my coat and shoes and be right out to help you!" Barry called after her as she exited through the door which she entered. He awkwardly curled his lips to prevent excessive morning breath from escaping. As soon as she was clear of the porch, he sped up the stairs, brushed his teeth at super speed (brushing so fast that his gums started to bleed), threw on a heavy sweater and jacket to mask potential B.O., and slipped into his shoes without bothering with socks. Sprinting down the stairs, he reached the front door before Iris did with her second load of groceries. Opening the door for her again, he slipped out after she came in and grabbed the rest of the bags for a one-trip journey. Returning to the house, he laid it all on the counter and returned to close the front door. The living room was noticeably chillier after so much exposure the November air.

"Oh, Barry I had them organized by contents!" Iris lamented as she noticed how he placed down the bags. The ones that she had brought in were arranged in a neat line along the sink's countertop. His were just kind of in a bunch.

"My apologies dear," Barry said facetiously. Iris shot him an annoyed glance. "Hey, if you don't mind, I'm going to go freshen up. Then I'll be down to help out. You sure that this early of start is really necessary? I know I said I've invited three additional guests, but I don't think it'll be that much of a…"

"Well, there's you and me, my brother, his wife, and Wally who… God knows what happened to that boy. One day he eats like a bird, the next he's wolfing down enough to feed a platoon. Puberty must be hitting him pretty hard… poor kid."

"Yeah," Barry said sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. He was still outrageously relieved that neither Iris nor Wally's parents caught onto the fact that his accident in Barry's lab yielded more than a few chemical burns… In truth, Wally had gained the same powers Barry had with his original accident that turned him into the Flash. The boy was psyched beyond belief when he realized what he could do (especially being such a big Flash fanboy beforehand), but Barry did everything that he could to quell the excitement and attempt to train him to responsibly use his power. It still remained to be seen if this effort was working.

"Next we have the Dibnys. They haven't confirmed, so I don't know if they're really coming, but it doesn't hurt to be prepared. And then there's your three who I'm curious to hear where you know them from again?"

"Uh… work," Barry said. He took comfort in the fact that he was only half lying.

"Right. Hal won't be joining this year?" Iris asked as she continued to unpack the groceries.

"I haven't heard from him a little while. He's been really tied up at work lately. I'm sure he'll have dinner with Carol's family. He said something about her nagging him for skipping out on them every year. This one seems to be a little different for him," Barry reasoned. Truthfully, he felt bad for Hal. He was largely embarrassed over his blowout with the rest of team back at the Italian restaurant. He hadn't shown his face at Mount Justice for a month due to shame. Barry tried convincing him that he was forgiven, but he wouldn't have it. He insisted that he just needed a little more time to build up courage to come back. Until then, he was isolating him.

"Well, glad we don't have to put up with liquored up antics this year," Iris said brushing of the counter and crinkling up a newly emptied bag.

"Yeah, I'm going to go take my shower now," Barry announced, heading out of the room. He made a mental note to use extra shampoo.

* * *

_So, like I said, second part will hopefully come by the holiday. I like what I have here, so I figured I'd post it up to make good on my last promise. Stay tuned for West family shenanigans over the dinner table! It should be pretty fun :J_


	5. Day of Thanksgiving Part 2

_I do not own DC Comics, its characters, locations, or fictional elements. All rights belong to the appropriate parties. No copyright infringement intended. The picture is from the film Justice League: Doom. All rights associated with it belongs to the appropriate parties._

_Author's Note: You know that big winter storm everyone has been talking about? Well it has caused me an innumerable amount of travelling woes. Thus, the last two or so days have been spent dealing with that rather than writing. As a result, I'm not sure if I'll get this chapter done today :( However, I'll finish off this arc for sure. It's just a question of "when". Hope you don't mind seeing Thanksgivings after Thanksgiving is over._

_Anyway, hope you enjoy part 2!_

* * *

**Justice League: Off Duty**

**Episode 4b**

**Superman/Wonder Woman /Batman/Flash  
Day of Thanksgiving Part 2**

* * *

The clock had just struck noon when the doorbell rang for the second time. Barry swung the door open to see only one grocery bag this time. However, there were three humans accompanying it.

"Heh-hey! Rudy! Mary! How are you guys?" Barry said excitedly, moving to side to let them in.

"Very well Barry, how about yourself?" Rudolph West replied in a businesslike tone.

"I'm making it. Definitely glad to have some time off for the holiday," he responded, wincing as he shook the man's hand. The grip was so tight, it felt like shaking hands with a bear.

"Thank you so much for having us!" Mary West said sweetly. Fortunately, she chose to greet Barry with a light hug rather than crushing his bones below the wrist.

"It's no problem at all! I figured it'd be nice to give back a little after having Thanksgiving dinner at Iris's every year, two years in a row. I don't get a whole lot of company anyway!" Barry explained with a side smile. Turning again to the opened door, he watched the third visitor enter, holding the large, plastic grocery bag. "Uh oh! Here comes trouble! How's it going bud?" Barry chuckled as the red headed teen brushed past him.

The boy said nothing. Instead, he shot him a look mixed with confusion and annoyance as he continued in towards the kitchen.

"Wallace West, I know that is **not** the boy that I raised. Say hello and wipe that nasty look off of your face," Rudolph said angrily. Sighing and slouching his shoulders, he spun around as he rolled his eyes.

"Hi," he said forcibly. Turning back toward the kitchen door, he met the gaze of his mother who was frowning at him as she stood in his way. Sighing again, he turned around once more. "Good to see you too… thanks for inviting us and all of that..."

"You're welcome kid!" Barry said cheerfully, careful not to reveal any hurt through his expression. "It's good seeing you again!"

Wally trudged into the kitchen without another word, still holding the grocery bag in front of him. After profusely apologizing for their son's behavior, Rudolph and Mary followed suit to greet Iris. Barry took a moment to straighten up the sitting area. In his pocket, he felt the vibration of his Justice League communicator. Stealing a glance toward the kitchen, he slipped out of the front door and answered it.

"Yeah, hello?"

"Hey, Barry?" came Clark's voice, "I don't know why this didn't occur to me yesterday, but where do you live exactly?"

Barry slapped his palm over his forehead again, "Ah dang it, it slipped my mind as well," he said, proceeding to recite it while Clark presumably wrote it down.

"Thanks. Sorry about calling you through this thing. I'll have to get your phone number later on so I don't force you to break cover like this. Anyway, do you want me to bring anything? My mother is insisting on making something to contribute so I figured I'd see what you guys need."

"No problem, you don't have to bring anything at all. Just your mother and an appetite! We're pretty covered with food," Barry said reassuringly. _As long as Hurricane Wally doesn't strike, that is_, he thought to himself.

"Okay. I'll pass along the info to Diana. I sure hope she has a plan for where to park her jet though. It may be invisible, but not intangible!" Clark laughed a little to himself on the other side of the line. Barry bit his lip a little.

"Yeah, hilarious. Hey, you just reminded me of something. Iris and her family obviously still have no idea that I'm my… um… _other_ self yet. And I still kind of hope to keep it that way – for a little longer at least. That brings the issue of how to "disguise" your identities when you get here…" Barry said nervously.

"Oh. Right. I didn't really think about that," Clark said quietly. Barry hesitated for a second.

"Um. Well, I know we're not all super, super close yet and this may feel a little awkward at first… but… would you – and Diana – maybe be willing to… pose as a _couple_ for the night?" A second long pause went by before Barry launched into his explanation. "O-only if you're comfortable. I know it's kind of a lot to ask, but I've sort of gotten it all worked out… mostly…" Barry then launched into a lengthy, rambling story of how Clark and Diana were a couple from Keystone whose property was victimized by arson. He described detail after detail of how their relationship overlaps and intersects which nearly gave Clark whiplash.

"It's fine with me," Clark said finally. He almost sounded happy about the suggestion. "I'm sure Diana won't mind. I'll ask her when he call to tell her the address."

"Okay. But really, Iris's family is nice. It's just that they do like to prod a bit sometimes… there can't be holes in the story."

"I understand Barry," Clark chuckled, "it's your party. I'm willing to play by your rules."

"Alright. Thanks so much for being patient. It's probably pretty clear that I haven't thought this thing 100% out yet," Barry sighed. He thought he heard footsteps moving into the living room, so he wrapped the conversation up and stepped back inside. He was certain that this Thanksgiving was surely going to be an interesting one. Whether it was 'happy', on the other hand, seemed to remain to be seen.

* * *

Aromas flowed freely through the halls of Wayne Manor throughout the day. Thirteen year old Dick Grayson wandered in and out of kitchen each time he smelled something new being prepared by the manor's faithful butler, Alfred.

"You're on a roll Alfred!" the boy exclaimed as a sweet, syrupy smell drew him back to large kitchen, "I think I'll be having triple portions of whatever it is you're making right now."

"I am certainly glad that you find my dishes appealing, Master Richard," Alfred said in his usual calm tone. "It is unfortunate that the other occupant of this fine manor does not seem to share your sentiment."

"He's here? *Pfft* I didn't even know he came back from Justice Mountain or wherever," Dick said with a pout.

"It would seem that he prefers to spend his holiday in that horrid cave of his rather than enjoying the dinner I've dutifully prepared," Alfred continued. "However, it is far from place to demand his presence when he does not wish to supply it."

"Uh huh," Dick said absentmindedly, "well, if you ever feel like handing out samples before everything's done, give me a holler. I'm starving for anything that isn't corn flakes right now since you pretty much have a monopoly on the food in this house…"

"I wouldn't suppose you're willing to assist me in moving the preparations along?" Alfred asked inquisitively.

"Heh. Maybe later! I'm still writing my theatre class paper," Dick called over his shoulder as he bounded off to another portion of the mansion. He was only halfway telling the truth. But cooking was one skill that three years as the boy wonder did not afford to him.

* * *

"I'm very sorry Iris. I don't have the slightest idea where the fourth roll of cookie dough went," Mary West said apologetically. Iris continued to rummage through the assorted groceries spread across the tiny kitchen table.

"Ugh. It's way too early to start losing my mind over dessert. How're we doing with veggies Barry?" Iris called.

"Uhhh… more than halfway, I guess," he said over his shoulder from the other end of the kitchen. Rudy was hunched over the oven, taking the turkey's temperature. Mary was working on stuffing. Even Wally had been put to work, peeling sweet potatoes in the next room. Iris took a second to survey it all then went back to laying out cookie dough on the tray.

"When anyone finds a free minute, can they check in on Wally's progress?" Iris asked. "He needs to make sure he's getting_ all_ of the skin off the tables and cutting enough of the tips off."

Out of nowhere, Wally was at the kitchen door, both hands on the doorway frame.

"You rang?" he asked smoothly. Everything in the room lifted as if a breeze was blowing _inside_ of the house. Everyone started scanning the ceiling for vents and each of the windows for openings. Barry cringed hard, silently praying that they would all drop it and ignore what they just felt.

"Status update," Iris said with a grin, straightening up like the captain of a ship.

"The yam peeling crew is about 95% finished ma'am," Wally said straightening up as well in a mock salute. "Tasks have been meeting required specifications **ma'am**."

"Excellent work soldier," Iris said, returning the salute. "When finished, you may move forward with the slicing phase immediately. Fill both of these and report back on the double." She pulled out two shallow baking pans.

"Ma'am, yes ma'am!" Wally said taking them and disappearing through the door again.

"Geez, if I had an aunt as cool as you back when I was a teen, I'd want to come over for dinner EVERY night," Barry joked with a smile.

"Yeah, well…" Iris said, blushing and feeling slightly embarrassed with all eyes suddenly on her.

"We're thrilled that Wally takes such a liking to you Iris," Mary said with a warm smile. "He struggles so much with his peers at school at times. His friendship with you on visits is cathartic for him."

"I'm glad he feels that way," Iris said grinning again. "He's free to 'sail' over for a visit anytime! You know where to find us now!"

"Ohh, yes! What's the status on the wedding?" Mary asked excitedly.

"Um, that's still pretty TBA," Iris said, staring unapologetically at Barry who continued to cut vegetables in silence. "We're getting around to setting a date. It's a little bit of a money and effort thing right now."

"I understand," Mary said in a sing-songy voice.

Barry took a couple steps back and brushed his hands together. "I'm going to look at what Wally's doing now. You know, make sure he's not cutting the slices too thick and all that. Be right back," he announced.

* * *

Barry slowed his pace as he approached the open double doors leading to Wally's potato-peeling operation. Stopping in the doorway, he looked in to see the job completely finished: both pans were filled with fully peeled, sliced up sweet potatoes. The 14-year-old at the other end of the table was leaning back, engrossed with a handheld video gaming device.

"Wow, good work," Barry commented, running his finger along the edge of one of the pans. "You got this done pretty quickly."

"Is that supposed to be funny?" the boy asked with a glare, taking a moment to look up at his visitor.

"Not at all. In fact I find it pretty disturbing that you have zero concern for concealing your – you know," Barry said disapprovingly. "Are you positive your parents haven't noticed anything or-"

"My _parents_," Wally snapped, "wouldn't even notice a full facial tattoo if I got one. What makes you think they'd notice that get things done slight faster?"

"Wally," Barry said with a sigh, "I know that you don't like me very much…"

"Understatement of the year," the teen grumbled, still engaged in his game.

"…but… I need you to take what I tell you seriously. I'm not telling you to hide your powers because I don't think you can handle them. And I'm **certainly** not refusing to take you on patrol or missions because I want to keep you down. It's just that there are a lot of considerations that have to be made if you really want to play hero out there – a lot of precaution that you'd have to take. But you don't seem to be interested in taking care or even controlling your speed. For that alone, I stand by my judgment that you aren't ready."

"I don't care about being your 'boy wonder' partner anymore. That kid that runs around with Batman has that on lock already," Wally retorted. "I just don't like that my aunt's dorky chemist boyfriend somehow thinks that he knows better than me and can march around condescendingly telling me what I'm not ready for."

"You're missing the point Wally. And I didn't even come in here to argue about that right now – there's… something else I need you to agree to. I've got some other people coming to this dinner tonight which means there'll be quite a few mouths to feed aside from your own very… _demanding_ one. I understand that you feel compelled to keep your metabolism "in balance", but I swear to you that you won't starve to death in one evening if you eat like a normal person," Barry said firmly with arms folded. His glare deepened when he noticed that Wally's face wasn't registering with any response.

"See, I hear words coming out of your mouth, but I have no idea what they mean," he said finally after Barry had stopped. "Almost as if you're speaking another language! Is it… Polish?"

Barry nearly growled but kept himself composed. "I'm very serious. If you're going to dig in after everybody else has had enough, be my guest. But not until that time comes, got it?" Wally still hadn't looked up.

"Finnish? Wait no, Swedish? It's totally Swedish."

Barry covered his face and groaned. He turned around quickly and stormed out of the room – not paying attention to his pace and moving slightly faster than normal. Wally raised an eyebrow at the lapse in judgment but didn't comment on it.

Barry stopped in his tracks when he was nearly out of the door. He heard a crinkle under his foot. Stopping and stooping down to retrieve the item, he discovered it was an empty cookie dough roll. Straightening up and wheeling around to glare at the red-headed teen once more, he was met with a smug grin.

"I'm having second thoughts on Swedish… Scandinavian maybe?"

* * *

_I'm so sorry I wasn't able to get more in there, but I'll wrap this story arc up in the final part. I just didn't want to leave these hanging completely._

_On a side note, for those of your still reading, I have a question. You've probably noticed the little bit of name dropping that's been going on across the last couple of chapters. Yes, the sidekicks for each of the main League members do exist in this story's universe. Most of them either have their heroic personas or at least have the powers associated with them._

_The question is, would any of you be interested in a Teen Titans edition of 'Off Duty'? I realize that would require even less attention given to the development of this story, but it could be fun to have a younger version of this. There are activities that teenagers could do that would be weird if their adult counterparts did. And of course there would be crossovers every now and again!_

_So what do you say? If a separate story seems unnecessary, it could be included as part of this one as a subplot maybe. In any case, I just thought I'd throw the idea out there._

_Part 3 will be out shortly. I've got some time now that I'm home – I just don't think it'll make it out tonight, unfortunately. I'll try to do better with the Christmas special. Thanks for reading as always!_


End file.
